wildfowler.250
Well-Known Member
Right folks , here’s the story.
Hen run in the back garden. Every so often,(months), I’ll see a new hole tunnelling under the run and obviously going for the hen feed. I’ve caught the occasional rat but nothing ever consistent,(mice are easy peasy). And I’m setting the traps by his trodden motorway to the hen run.
There’s a few holes in the hedge where they’re obviously living. Sometimes new earth so you can tell what’s fresh.
So here’s the issues:
1) I can’t use poison because I’ve a lab that will eat anything and it’s just not worth it.
2) I can set traps overnight. Works very occasionally but not consistently. They’re obviously hitting the food most nights but not the traps. I’m covering the food in the run on the nights traps are set so they’ve got no other easy food options.
I’ve also got to remove the traps in the AM or I’ll end up catching a robin or something.
Is there a bait that works consistently? I’m trying peanut butter and also cheese? I’m within a mile of a farm so I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of them completely. They’re not in the house but I don’t like having them close to house.
Short of buying a patterdale and smoking them,(I’d have to cut the bushes away) I’m struggling. I’ve caught 3-4 over a year or so. I don’t think there’s a ‘lot’. But if there was something that could consistently work I’d be open to trying it. The hens nearly got rehomed but we like having them.
Cheers!
Hen run in the back garden. Every so often,(months), I’ll see a new hole tunnelling under the run and obviously going for the hen feed. I’ve caught the occasional rat but nothing ever consistent,(mice are easy peasy). And I’m setting the traps by his trodden motorway to the hen run.
There’s a few holes in the hedge where they’re obviously living. Sometimes new earth so you can tell what’s fresh.
So here’s the issues:
1) I can’t use poison because I’ve a lab that will eat anything and it’s just not worth it.
2) I can set traps overnight. Works very occasionally but not consistently. They’re obviously hitting the food most nights but not the traps. I’m covering the food in the run on the nights traps are set so they’ve got no other easy food options.
I’ve also got to remove the traps in the AM or I’ll end up catching a robin or something.
Is there a bait that works consistently? I’m trying peanut butter and also cheese? I’m within a mile of a farm so I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of them completely. They’re not in the house but I don’t like having them close to house.
Short of buying a patterdale and smoking them,(I’d have to cut the bushes away) I’m struggling. I’ve caught 3-4 over a year or so. I don’t think there’s a ‘lot’. But if there was something that could consistently work I’d be open to trying it. The hens nearly got rehomed but we like having them.
Cheers!
